John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

walls, and Christ has now removed the securities. For this reason, in the beginning, spiritual gifts were given even to the unworthy; for the old state of things had need, for the sake of faith, of this assistance; but now they are not given even to the worthy; for the strength of faith no longer requires this alliance. And so that you may learn that those men were not lying, but truly performed signs, and spiritual gifts were given to unworthy men, and so that, in addition to what has been said, something else might be accomplished, and that they, revering the gift of God, might put away wickedness, Judas, one of the twelve, is acknowledged by all to have performed signs, to have cast out demons, to have raised the dead, to have cleansed lepers; but nevertheless he fell from the kingdom of heaven. For the signs did not have the power 51.82 to save him, since he became a robber, and a thief, and a betrayer of the Master. That signs have no power to save without an excellent way of life and a pure and exact conduct, has been shown from these things; but that a way of life that does not have the consolation of signs, nor has taken that as an ally, but has appeared on its own, has the power to enter with boldness into the kingdom of heaven, hear Christ himself saying: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Why? Because they raised the dead? Because they cleansed lepers? Because they drove out demons? No; but why? I was hungry, he says, and you fed me; thirsty, and you gave me drink; naked, and you clothed me; a stranger, and you took me in. Nowhere are there miracles, but everywhere a way of life. Just as, therefore, there were miracles everywhere, and immediately punishment, since the miracles were bare of a way of life; so also here, there is a way of life everywhere, and nowhere miracles, and immediately salvation; since an excellent way of life is powerful in itself to save those who possess it. For this reason also this blessed, and noble, and wonderful Luke so entitled the book, The Acts of the Apostles, not The Miracles of the Apostles; and yet they also performed miracles. But those things happened for a season, and have passed away; but these things must be demonstrated at all times by all who are to be saved. Since, therefore, our zeal is not for signs, but for the acts of the apostles, for this reason he so entitled the book. For so that you may not say, or rather, so that the indolent may not say, when we exhort them to the imitation of the apostles, and say: Imitate Peter, emulate Paul, become like John, follow James; so that they may not say, We cannot, nor are we able; for they raised the dead, cleansed lepers, silencing our shameless excuse, Be silent, he says, be muzzled; not miracles, but a way of life leads into the kingdom of heaven. Emulate, therefore, the way of life of the apostles, and you will have nothing less than the apostles. For it was not the signs that made them apostles, but their pure life. And that this is the distinguishing mark of the apostolic image, and the character of the disciples, hear Christ indicating this sign. For in characterizing the images of the disciples, and showing what is the mark of an apostle, he spoke thus: By this all will know that you are my disciples. By this, what? by performing miracles? by raising the dead? No, he says; but by what? By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. But love is not of miracles, but of a way of life. For love is the fulfillment of the law. Have you seen the mark of the disciples? have you seen the image of the apostolate? have you seen the form? have you seen the type? seek nothing more; for the Master has declared that love characterizes the disciples. If, therefore, you have love, you have become an apostle, and the first of the apostles.

δʹ. Do you wish to learn this from another source? Christ, speaking to Peter, says, Peter, do you love me more than these? And nothing is equal to this for attaining the kingdom of heaven, but when we are seen to love Christ, as we ought to love. And he spoke the distinguishing mark. What then is this? and by doing what are we able to love more than

τειχία, καὶ τὰ ἀσφαλίσματα λοιπὸν ἀνεῖλεν ὁ Χριστός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἀναξίοις χαρίσματα ἐδίδοτο· χρείαν γὰρ εἶχε τὸ παλαιὸν, τῆς πίστεως ἕνεκα, ταύτης τῆς βοηθείας· νῦν δὲ οὐδὲ ἀξίοις δίδοται· ἡ γὰρ ἰσχὺς τῆς πίστεως οὐκέτι ταύτης δεῖται τῆς συμμαχίας. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι οὐκ ἐψεύδοντο ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ ἀληθῶς σημεῖα ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἀναξίοις ἀνθρώποις χαρίσματα ἐδίδοτο, καὶ ἵνα πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ ἕτερόν τι κατορθωθῇ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰν αἰδεσθέντες ἐκεῖνοι ἀποθῶνται τὴν πονηρίαν, Ἰούδας ὁ τῶν δώδεκα παρὰ πᾶσιν ὁμολογεῖται, ὅτι σημεῖα ἐποίει, ὅτι δαίμονας ἐξέβαλλεν, ὅτι νεκροὺς ἤγειρεν, ὅτι λεπροὺς ἐκάθηρεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐξέπεσε τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἴσχυσεν αὐτὸν 51.82 σῶσαι τὰ σημεῖα, ἐπειδὴ λῃστὴς, καὶ κλέπτης, καὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου προδότης ἐγένετο. Ὅτι μὲν τὰ σημεῖα οὐκ ἰσχύει σῶσαι χωρὶς πολιτείας ἀρίστης καὶ βίου καθαροῦ καὶ διηκριβωμένου, ἀπὸ τούτων ἀποδέδεικται· ὅτι δὲ πολιτεία οὐκ ἔχουσα τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων παραμυθίαν, οὐδὲ σύμμαχον λαβοῦσα ἐκείνην, ἀλλ' αὕτη καθ' ἑαυτὴν φανεῖσα, ἴσχυσε μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. ∆ιὰ τί; ὅτι νεκροὺς ἤγειραν; ὅτι λεπροὺς ἐκάθηραν; ὅτι δαίμονας ἤλασαν; Οὐχί· ἀλλὰ διὰ τί; Πεινῶντα εἴδετέ με, φησὶ, καὶ ἐθρέψατε· διψῶντα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· γυμνὸν, καὶ περιεβάλετέ με· ξένον, καὶ συνηγάγετε. Οὐδαμοῦ θαύματα, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ πολιτεία. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖ πανταχοῦ θαύματα, καὶ εὐθέως κόλασις, ἐπειδὴ γυμνὰ τὰ θαύματα τῆς πολιτείας· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πανταχοῦ πολιτεία, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ θαύματα, καὶ εὐθέως ἡ σωτηρία· ἐπειδὴ ἰσχύει καθ' ἑαυτὴν σῶσαι ἡ ἀρίστη πολιτεία τοὺς κεκτημένους αὐτήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος, καὶ γενναῖος, καὶ θαυμάσιος Λουκᾶς οὕτως ἐπέγραψε τὸ βιβλίον, Πράξεις ἀποστόλων, οὐ θαύματα ἀποστόλων· καίτοι καὶ θαύματα πεποιήκασιν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν καιρῷ γέγονε, καὶ παρῆλθε· ταῦτα δὲ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου πάντας ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ τοὺς σώζεσθαι μέλλοντας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐ πρὸς τὰ σημεῖα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς πράξεις τῶν ἀποστόλων ὁ ζῆλος ἡμῖν, διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως τὸ βιβλίον ἐπέγραψεν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν οἱ ῥᾴθυμοι, ἐπειδὰν αὐτοὺς παρακαλοῦμεν πρὸς τὴν μίμησιν τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ λέγομεν· Μίμησαι Πέτρον, ζήλωσον Παῦλον, γενοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην, ἀκολούθησον Ἰάκωβον· ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν, Οὐ δυνάμεθα, οὐδὲ ἰσχύομεν, ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ νεκροὺς ἀνέστησαν, λεπροὺς ἐκάθηραν, ἐπιστομίζων ἡμῶν τὴν ἀναίσχυντον ἀπολογίαν, Σιώπα, φησὶ, πεφίμωσο· οὐ θαύματα, ἀλλὰ πολιτεία εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσάγει τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ζήλωσον τοίνυν τὴν πολιτείαν τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἕξεις τῶν ἀποστόλων. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ σημεῖα ἀποστόλους ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ὁ βίος ὁ καθαρός. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ γνώρισμα τῆς ἀποστολικῆς εἰκόνος, καὶ τοῦ χαρακτῆρος τῶν μαθητῶν, ἄκουσον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο δηλοῦντος τὸ σημεῖον. Χαρακτηρίζων γὰρ τῶν μαθητῶν τὰς εἰκόνας, καὶ δεικνὺς τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἀποστολῆς γνώρισμα, οὕτως εἶπεν· Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι μαθηταί μου ἐστέ. Ἐν τούτῳ, ποίῳ; ἐν τῷ θαύματα ποιεῖν; ἐν τῷ νεκροὺς ἐγείρειν; Οὐχὶ, φησίν· ἀλλ' ἐν τίνι; Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους. Ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οὐχὶ θαυμάτων, ἀλλὰ πολιτείας ἐστί. Πλήρωμα γὰρ νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη. Εἶδες τὸ γνώρισμα τῶν μαθητῶν; εἶδες τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀποστολῆς; εἶδες τὴν μορφήν; εἶδες τὸν τύπον; μηδὲν πλέον ζήτει· ὁ γὰρ ∆εσπότης ἀπεφήνατο, ὅτι ἀγάπη χαρακτηρίζει τοὺς μαθητάς. Ἂν τοίνυν ἔχῃς ἀγάπην, ἀπόστολος γέγονας, καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων πρῶτος.

δʹ. Βούλει ἑτέρωθεν τοῦτο μαθεῖν; Πρὸς Πέτρον εἰπὼν ὁ Χριστὸς, Πέτρε, φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; φησί. Τούτου δὲ ἴσον οὐδὲν εἰς τὸ τυχεῖν βασιλείας οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὅταν φανῶμεν τὸν Χριστὸν φιλοῦντες, ὡς φιλεῖν δεῖ. Καὶ τὸ γνώρισμα εἶπε. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; καὶ τί ποιοῦντες δυνάμεθα φιλεῖν πλέον τῶν